WOODLAND, CA—In the past, tech seeds and startups were being born at UC Davis with no place to grow. Academic research at UC Davis seeks to expand to commercial application, in other words, support a tech transfer. However, of the top 20 research universities in the nation, UC Davis is the only one without a research park.

This is about to change. Earlier this spring, the Woodland Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the city council accept the petition for a specific plan for Woodland Research Park. This was based on finding the proposed boundaries of the specific plan appropriate and consistent with the policies of the city of Woodland general plan.

“University research parks provide infrastructure and collaboration to support the various stages of research to commercialization,” said Greater Sacramento Economic Council CEO Barry Broome. “Developing a research park could better leverage these research assets, elevate the profile of our region, and help to develop a more entrepreneurial business environment in which innovative companies with high growth potential can thrive.”

The Woodland Research Park site is just five minutes from UC Davis. It will combine a technology business campus with a mixed-use development including residential neighborhoods, community-serving retail, and open spaces for gathering and community events. It will be designed to complement the adjacent Spring Lake neighborhood and nearby downtown Woodland.

The 351-acre site at Woodland's Southern Gateway between Highway 113 and County Road 25A has long been designated by the city of Woodland for this type of project, which would enhance and expand Woodland's existing food production and agriculture economy. It is envisioned as a dynamic innovation and technology hub where established and emerging companies can collaborate and grow in close proximity to research occurring at UC Davis, Woodland Community College workforce training programs, and agriculture and technology companies in the region.

“The Sacramento region has a great asset in the University of California, Davis,” John Hodgson of the Woodland Research Park development team, tells GlobeSt.com. “Woodland Research Park will provide technology companies state-of-the-art R&D and commercial space with access to UC Davis's world-class research and resources, and proximity to California's ag and seed tech hub, the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.”

Of the 351 acres, approximately 1,600 units will include a mix of low-, medium- and high-density residential. The business park will be light industrial and include a village center. Approximately 23 acres of public parkland, open spaces and greenways will tie in with those in Spring Lake.

The developer is the Hodgson Company, the engineering firm is Cunningham Engineering Corporation and the landscape architect is AECOM.

Instant Insights /

Tech Seeds Had No Place to Grow, Until Now

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